The artist Claude Monet was fascinated by how natural light affected the colour of a subject. He painted the same subjects repeatedly, capturing changes in light throughout the day and seasons. Use this art and science project as a stimulus for engaging your child to explore light and colour.
Embark on a Monet-inspired photography project. Choose a spot in your garden or a nearby park. Take photos from this exact location at different times over several days. Print and arrange these photos in a series, just like Monet’s haystacks or water lilies paintings. This activity bridges art and science, encouraging careful observation and analysis.
🐰Down the rabbit hole….
If this activity sparks an interest in photography, I found this great tutorial over at PetaPixel (and borrowed their image above!) about taking photos at different times of day.
Questions to explore: understanding light and colour
Questioning is a great way to encourage your child to think critically and explore concepts – here are some questions to give you a start point for research to explore light and colour through photography.
For ages 8-13:
- How does the light change the colours you see?
- What time of day shows the brightest colours?
- Can you spot any shadows? How do they move or change?
- Do some objects change colour more than others?
For ages 14-16:
- How does the angle of light affect the colours and shadows?
- Can you explain why colours appear different at sunrise versus midday?
- How might weather conditions (cloudy vs. sunny) impact your observations?
- Can you relate these changes to the Earth’s rotation and the sun’s position?
Research Starting Points – Exploring light and colour
You may wish to view the videos below as a start point for research and developing your child’s knowledge on light and colour. Listed at the bottom of the page are a range of learning objectives you can align your research with, based on the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3. You might address all on non at all, depending on your child’s level of interest and level of understanding.
What is colour?
How do we see in colour?
See Also. The Science Learning Hub (NZ) – Colours of Light
Why is the sky blue?
Learning Objectives
| Potential Learning Objectives and Outcomes (Key Stage 2 and 3) |
| KS2 Science: Recognise that light from the sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect their eyes |
| KS2 Science: Recognise that light appears to travel in straight lines |
| KS2 Science: Use the idea that light travels in straight lines to explain that objects are seen because they give out or reflect light into the eye |
| KS2 Science: Explain that we see things because light travels from light sources to our eyes or from light sources to objects and then to our eyes |
| KS3 Science: The similarities and differences between light waves and waves in matter |
| KS3 Science: The transmission of light through materials: absorption, diffuse scattering and specular reflection at a surface |
| KS3 Science: Colours and the different frequencies of light, white light and prisms |
| KS3 Science: Differential colour effects in absorption and diffuse reflection |
| KS3 Art and Design: Use a range of techniques to record observations in sketchbooks, journals and other media as a basis for exploring ideas |
| KS3 Art and Design: Use a range of techniques and media, including painting |
This Monet-inspired photography activity offers a unique and engaging way of exploring light and colour through photography – a great little art and science project. Your child may wish to recording their learning in a sketchbook together with some diagrams, brief notes and photograph series. By combining artistic expression with scientific inquiry, students gain a deeper appreciation for the interplay between light and our perception of colour. This hands-on approach not only meets various learning objectives across science and art curricula but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and observational skills.